Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Brandon

T hey let Matt, the ranch hand they'd brought with them, drive while they talked about farm business to pass the time, but Brandon was hyperaware of the females in the back of the truck. They were talking softly now and then, but mostly quiet, and he couldn't quite make out what they were saying, especially when he was trying to focus on his conversation with Leo.

The trip sped by, with half his mind on business and the other half on Cassie.

Cassie.

The perfect name for the sassy little hucow. His cock was aching to get inside her.

It felt like the drive took forever, probably because he was so unfocused. Leo seemed less bothered, even though he was even more enamored of Meggie than Brandon was of Cassie. After all, Leo had just bought a personal pet, yet somehow he seemed far more patient.

Brandon breathed a sigh of relief when they finally reached the road to the farm, passing by the familiar fields producing the various vegetables they also grew. There was no livestock other than the cows and some chickens, but they had several fields of corns they sold, as well as vegetables for those living on the ranch. They produced as much at home as they could.

The large manor house loomed ahead. They shared the house with the nearly thirty workers they employed, though he and Leo took one wing, and the workers took the other. Most of them were single men who were happy to live in the house and save up money for themselves. If any ever got married or took on a hucow pet, they tended to move out. The housekeeper and chef were a married couple who had their own suite in the west wing with the ranch hands.

Behind the house was the main barn and the milking barn, though right now some of the cows would be over in the wide fields where they spent most of their day. There was space for them to roam, a small pond, shady trees, and a special edible grass that had been formulated especially for them. It didn't hold much appeal for Brandon, but sometimes Leo liked it and sometimes chewed on a piece when he thought no one was looking. Some of the hands and grooms did, too.

"We'll take care of Meggie and Cassie," Leo said as soon as the truck was pulling in front of the house. Matt made a disappointed face. Too bad for him. That was the privilege of being the owner. Leo chuckled at the younger man's reaction. "Go help with the evening milking if you're feeling so inclined."

"Yes, sir. You sure you don't want help with those two pretty little cows back there?" Matt looked hopefully at Brandon, appealing to him as his last chance.

Brandon was amused that the younger man was still trying. He didn't blame him. Bringing in the new cows was one of his favorite parts of the job, too. One never knew how they'd react to their new life.

Plus, after riding in the car with all the bumps and them still getting used to the effects of the serum, they tended to be pretty horny. Damn, he was looking forward to that.

"I think we can handle them," Brandon replied with a conspiratorial grin. "Besides, I think Leo is going to explode if he has to watch anyone else touch his Meggie today." Might as well make sure word spread immediately that Meggie was special.

She was still going to be treated like the others, despite Leo's plans for her, in order to get her acclimated, but the staff should know.

"Oh ho, so that's the way it is," Matt said, raising his eyebrows.

Brandon could practically see the gears turning in his head. Chances were, the second he got the truck parked, he'd be off to tell everyone the news.

Leo glared at Brandon. Like no one was going to guess when he came walking through the yard with Meggie, rather than letting Brandon and Matt handle them. Normally, this would be the point when he'd go into the house and get wrapped up in his spreadsheets and submitting forms, doing all the normal admin duties that went with purchasing new hucows. With only two cows, it would be immediately noticeable that he wasn't following his normal routine.

Brandon was right. Practically as soon as the truck came to a halt, Matt bounded out, heading for the barn.

Sighing, Leo gave Brandon a look.

"I didn't realize you wanted an audience," he said, unbuckling himself and moving much slower than Matt had.

Brandon had no such qualms. He couldn't wait to get his hands on Cassie.

"What makes you think anyone's going to be watching me and Cassie?" Brandon grinned even wider at Leo's discomfiture. He wasn't the one bringing home a pet, and he usually liked to help the new cattle settle in. His presence wasn't going to surprise anyone. They were all going to be watching Leo and Meggie because that's what was different and therefore interesting. "Besides, they'd have all figured it out quickly enough. At least this way, they won't be watching and whispering while they try to figure out what you're doing with her. They'll take a look, see that it's true, and move on. Really, you should be thanking me."

"I'll get right on that." Leo finally hopped out of the truck, closing the door behind him as he shook his head.

Brandon followed him, still grinning cheerfully. So far, everything today was going his way.

Seeing the hucows take in their new surroundings was also fun. They opened the truck doors and let the girls out, watching their eyes widen as they came out of the back of the truck and got their first good look at the fields and farm. Both of them breathed in deeply, as though they couldn't get enough of the good, clean air.

Good thing the wind was blowing the right way to keep the smells from the chicken coop away.

It wasn't an uncommon reaction. Hathor worked hard to keep the pollution levels as low as possible, so even travelers from other planets were often taken aback by how clean the air was. Anyone who'd grown up on a space station or onboard a ship was usually even more surprised by the quality of air.

Cassie and Meggie moved slightly away from each other, as if they had the impulse to explore. Brandon decided it was time to get Cassie to the barn—his cock couldn't wait much longer. If Leo wanted to let his pet stand around and stare some more, that was up to him, but Brandon needed to bury his cock in the sassy brunette they'd paid so much money for.

Stepping forward, he clipped a leash onto Cassie's collar, jingling the little bell as he did so. Startled, she stepped back from him and narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"Come on, Cassie," he said in a low crooning voice that often worked with jittery new arrivals.

It had the opposite effect on her.

She opened her mouth, looking like she was going to say something, then just in time remembered that hucows don't talk. Her mouth snapped shut, jaw clenching, and she shook her head, taking another step back. There was a little gleam of challenge in her eye, as if she was testing him to see what he would do.

Brandon raised his eyebrows at her, nodding at her swollen teats. During the ride, they'd filled up again. She should be both full of milk and horny.

"Now, Cassie." He made his tone sharper rather than soothing. From the way she was already challenging him, he wanted to lay down the proper tone from the beginning. He'd tried the easy way; now she was going to get the hard way. Matt had mentioned on the drive that she'd required a few swats to get her to stop peppering him with questions when he'd been loading her onto the truck. However, Brandon would also try some logic. She was smart. "Now, Cassie, you need to be milked, or you're just going to get more uncomfortable. Stop balking."

But she didn't. Her expression turned mulish.

Guess they were going to do all of it the hard way.

Cassie

She was not making smart choices, yet she couldn't help herself. The smart decision would be to go docilely with Brandon and get the lay of the land. But the moment he'd clipped a freaking leash onto her collar, she'd felt her stubbornness rise up.

What was he going to do if she didn't follow along quietly?

What was life really going to be like here on Hathor?

What happened to hucows who weren't obedient little herd members?

Brandon's sunny disposition disappeared, gone in the blink of an eye, leaving him with a stern expression that had her heart pounding.

Oh, shit.

He'd seemed so easy going compared to Leo's sober demeanor, but apparently not.

Cassie squealed as he pinched her nipple, using it to pull her upper body down, bending her at the waist. The tiny bud throbbed in protest at the rough use, especially as it was extra sensitive after the inspection earlier. It didn't help that her breasts had swelled up with milk again, making her feel eager to find relief from the internal pressure.

After the auction, she knew what this position meant, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Her hands had automatically gone to his wrist where he was holding her, rather than protecting her backside like she probably should have. But her nipple was throbbing, and she'd been so off balance, she'd grabbed onto his wrist to help her stay in position… the perfect position to spank her.

Oh, no.

His hand came down on her butt, which was already sensitive from the earlier swats she'd been given. Cassie thought the sting had faded on the ride, but from the very first smack, she knew she was more tender than she would have been otherwise.

It freaking hurt.

"Ow, goddammit! Fucking hell!" The curses spilled out of her mouth. She was not built for quiet or keeping her mouth shut, and once the dam burst, she couldn't hold it back, even though she knew it was making her entire situation worse. She kept cursing as he kept spanking her until she finally ran out of breath.

Still holding onto her nipple, holding her in place, Brandon kept bringing his hand down on her ass, over and over again, making her dance in place. Her nipple throbbed between his fingers, a small stream of milk squirting down onto the ground, some of it getting on his boots. Not that he seemed to care.

Tears sparked in her eyes. She had no idea when—if—he planned to stop, and she was sure her butt was turning bright red from the chastisement. The stinging pain grew with every slap of his hand against her upturned bottom until she finally managed to stop cursing. Her tears dripped down along with her milk, making her gasp and pant, but once she stopped cursing, Brandon finally stopped spanking her.

His finger stayed on her nipple, though, rolling it through his fingers, stimulating the little bud. Her breasts ached. How could she be so horny again already? Why was she horny when her ass felt like it was on fire?

She didn't know, but she was.

Her pussy was throbbing as much as her nipple and her ass but for an entirely different reason.

"Good girl," Brandon crooned, back to the softer voice now, but she wasn't fooled. That charming grin and soothing tone hid a hardass. "Now, we're going to go get you milked, and you're going to be a good girl for me, aren't you?"

Cassie found herself nodding, which was not like her at all. Since when had she ever cared about being a good girl? But she liked hearing him say it. Also, she really didn't want another spanking right now. So, when he let her straighten up, she followed him down the path to the barn. Leo and Meggie had already disappeared—likely the other woman was a far more cooperative hucow than Cassie was. She certainly hadn't seemed interested in putting up a fight.

Though Cassie hadn't thought she would either, but just something about Brandon both made her want to fight back and be a good girl for him. She couldn't explain it. She'd never met anyone who had that kind of effect on her.

She wondered how much of it she could blame on the serum.

Brandon seemed pleased with how cooperative she was being now, and she couldn't help smiling. Partly because she liked pleasing him, and partly because she was amused that he thought a single spanking was going to turn her into the perfect little hucow. Once her butt recovered, she already knew she was going to be pushing her boundaries again.

Just to find out where they were.